A Word of Wisdom from the Pastor's Pad!
One of the beautiful stories in the Old Testament is found in the Book of Ruth. You may remember the story. There is a drought in Israel and Elimelech moves his wife Naomi and his two sons to Moab where there was rain. But things do not go well in Moab, Elimelech dies and his two sons die as well. Naomi is left husbandless and childless, and she decides that she will return alone to Israel. Her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth accompany her to the border. Naomi bids them to turn back and return to Moab. Orpah heeds Naomi’s words, but Ruth chooses to go on with Naomi.
Together Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem. The women of the village see Naomi returning and recognize her. But with the recognition comes comments such as “see how old she looks”, “where is her husband”, and “she how far she has fallen”. Naomi hears the snide comments and says “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:21.)
We can understand Naomi’s sense of loss and emptiness, especially when societal norms and attitudes are considered. But we need to ask ourselves if Naomi really was returning empty? Wasn’t she forgetting about Ruth?
Ruth had committed her life and her future to Naomi. She risked her future to remain faithful to Naomi. Naomi’s words seem to place no value on Ruth’s decision to remain with Naomi. Naomi was so overwrought by what she had lost that she failed to appreciate what she had obtained in Ruth’s love for her.
We need from time to time to ask ourselves whether we appreciate what we have and especially whether or not we appreciate those who remain committed to us through times of difficulty and loss. Mourning, grief, and disappointment are all valid emotional responses to life experience, but such responses should not keep us from remembering to value the positives in our lives. Balancing all our of life experiences in realistic perspective is a sign of good health.
At the end of the story the women of Bethlehem gather around Naomi as she holds the child born to Ruth and Boaz. The child is a blessing for Naomi but the women remind her to have balance and to keep her new joy in perspective. They tell her to remember Ruth whose love to Naomi is worth seven sons. (Ruth 4:15.) She is reminded to remember and appreciate those who love her in times of sorrow and in times in joy.
May we, too, be reminded to appreciate to those who love us and stand by us in our times of sorrow and our times of joy.
Rev. Richard Parker
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